Romney Answered My Religion Question

Schieffer: I Would Have Accepted 'None Of Your Business' But I Got More

(CBS)  Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

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When former Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2000, he said he believed in God and would say no more about it than that. He said the rest was his business.

That's a good answer as far as I am concerned. That's why - when I interviewed former Governor Romney - I asked how much of his faith he felt obligated to share with voters.

I brought it up because polls show many Americans say they just won't vote for a Mormon. For a Mormon politician, that's not a religious problem, it's a political problem.

So when Romney said he was happy to be asked, I asked.

I found his answers interesting. He outlined how he saw the relationship of his religion to the duties of the presidency in much the way that John Kennedy explained his faith in that 1960 speech after people questioned his Catholicism.

Romney didn't go as far as Kennedy but I came away feeling I knew more about who he was and that helps to make a political, not a religious judgment.

Had he said his religion was none of my business, I would have taken that as a legitimate answer. In America, what we choose to tell others about our faith is nobody's business but our own.

Kennedy said he hoped no one would vote for or against him because he was Catholic. Romney said the same.

I think they got that part exactly right.

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E-mail Face the Nation.

[tbweb]

I never had a problem with Mitt Romney''s religion and I don''t know much about Mitt Romney except what I read in the news media. I''ve researched several news sources to try and get a well rounded picture of Mitt Romney and surprisingly the people from Massachusetts where Mitt Romney was Governor were the hardest on him, your own state should know you better than anyone else! But then I heard Mitt Romney did well saving the Olympic effort. Watching Mitt Romney from a distanced the only criticism I have and I have some for all the candidates so Mitt Romney should not take it personal is none of his 5 sons serve in the U.S. Military and as a future Commander in Chief I think thats odd. Finally Mitt Romney is too slick, being what he needs to be to get Votes and don''t seem to have his own identity and finally it looks like he''s buying people, buying Votes!

[michellem99-2009]

A mormon..I know what they believe..They DO push their church on others..I walked away from it.

[guysdigdirt]

Any candidate that we have to consider based upon their religion (or even ask) has already lost the founding fathers'''' votes. Try that on you ignorant christian bigots.
Posted by finch14

Anytime you make a blanket religious statement like this you are an inbred moronic a$$.

[finch14]

Any candidate that we have to consider based upon their religion (or even ask) has already lost the founding fathers'' votes. Try that on you ignorant christian bigots.

[guysdigdirt]

A person''''s religion SHOULD be other people''''s business, or else it isn''''t a religion worth living. Fortunately, Romney didn''''t answer with "none of your business." He said what was appropriate and relevant, and left it at that. As for how Romney''''s religion affects his life and leadership ... we can all look at his life for that.

The problem with our society is we get all hung-up on names and labels, and entirely forget to look at a person''''s deeds and demeanor as evidence of what is going on in his mind and heart. What Romney''''s Mormonism would mean to the country is no big secret to those who look. Mormons who live their faith work hard, tend to their families, treat others kindly, follow sound moral values, and allow their neighbor to worship as he pleases. What more do we need to know?
Posted by quinalan

Well put.

[Netterz]

I seriously dont CARE what religion any of them follow. They could be of the church of little green men for all I care, I just want a person in office that will accept the job seriously, one that will start taking care of AMERICANS first, and the rest of the world later. We are having too many serious problems right here in our own country, because of the RICH wanting to get RICHER, shipping jobs over seas, unfair international trade laws, they have turned this country into a place where there is no middle class. Its either filthy rich, and wanting more, or poverty, and not being able to do anything about it. I want some one in there that beleives in the fact that HE/SHE WORKS FOR US, and no one else. We need a person who beleives that the constitution was written for a reason, and it worked for many years, before we let people into office that forgot there job was to interpret the laws of this country, NOT CHANGE THEM to suit the needs of illegal immigrants & criminals. I want some one to tell me how in the SAM-H3LL can a person who ran over the border can SUE us? Get these people off my land. Let them go home and change there own laws, and make it a better place to be, than coming here and trying to change everthing my forefathers beleived and fought for to make this country what it was. We were FAR better off 50 years ago, than we are today. Get need to get back to the idealism of "WE THE PEOPLE" Not "WE THE RICH". Shame on the gov''t for becomig what it has, a big JOKE.

[eggy1620]

People voting against Romney specifically because he is a Mormon is just as knuckleheaded as people voting for Bush specifically because he is an evangelical Christian.

[elvisdrinkmo]

I have blogged about this story in my own special way:

http://dccomictician.blogspot.com/2007/10/bob-schieffer-at-cbs-legion-of-doom.html

Please be advised that my blog is a parody.

But let me say in all seriousness: right on to Bob Schieffer! Religion is nobody''s business, but their own. It''s nice to see a member of the MSM call it.

Hell, we should never forget that Richard Nixon was a Quaker.

[bot14]

Mitt%u2019s church, the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) has been often misunderstood by Evangelical preachers in the past . . Some accused the Church of not believing in Christ and, therefore, not being a Christian religion . .

http://MormonsAreChristian.blogspot.com/ helps to clarify such misconceptions by examining early (First Century) Christianity''s theology relating to baptism, the Godhead, the deity of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Mitt%u2019s church believes in the Jesus of the New Testament, who prayed to his Father in Heaven in the Garden of Gethsemane, not the Jesus portrayed in the creeds of the 4th Century.

The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) adheres to Early Christian (New Testament) theology more closely than other Christian denominations. . Perhaps the reason Evangelical preachers promoted this mis-representation was to protect their flock (and their livlihood). It is encouraging to note that Evangelical preachers appear now to have a moral and competent president as a priority..

[j_flood]

Unfortunately, I don''t believe the vast majority of voters can set aside a candidate''s religion anymore than they can their race. We''re not THAT democratic - yet. I don''t see a boogie man when I see Romney - doubt if I''d vote for him, but that''s because of his politics not his religion. His father was a good man, I suspect so his this Governor Romney too. As we go down this ever-lengthening road to an election, we should have a single national primary - if anyone captures 51% - they''re they nominee. Religion, gender, race, they''ll all matter in our decisions, but can we get to the decision point sooner rather than later?

[ampsanne]

When I''ve voted for someone to be president I never gave it a thought of what religion they were. It doesn''t matter to me. You see it''s like this...it''s like 3 major highways all leading to the same place. Same with religion, you have religions and their all aiming for the same place ---heaven. As long as you believe. And do I care what the next guy''s religion is? Not really, I''ll believe my way, and he can believe his way.

[quinalan]

A person''s religion SHOULD be other people''s business, or else it isn''t a religion worth living. Fortunately, Romney didn''t answer with "none of your business." He said what was appropriate and relevant, and left it at that. As for how Romney''s religion affects his life and leadership ... we can all look at his life for that.

The problem with our society is we get all hung-up on names and labels, and entirely forget to look at a person''s deeds and demeanor as evidence of what is going on in his mind and heart. What Romney''s Mormonism would mean to the country is no big secret to those who look. Mormons who live their faith work hard, tend to their families, treat others kindly, follow sound moral values, and allow their neighbor to worship as he pleases. What more do we need to know?